170  Study  of  Urine,  Sputum  and  Blood.  {K™'l™\\\\m™' 
The  issuance  by  the  Government  of  bulletins  of  information  as  to 
the  best  modes  of  cultivating,  collecting  and  preparing  such  medici- 
nal plants  as  are  suited  to  the  climates  of  our  States  and  colonies. 
MICROSCOPIC  STUDY  OF  URINE,  SPUTUM  AND  BLOOD. 
By  L.  Napoi^on  Boston,  M.D.,  Philadelphia. 
^Bacteriologist  to  the  Philadelphia  Hospital  and  to  the  Ayer  Clinical  Laboratory 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital ;  Instructor  of  Obstetrics  in  the  Medico-Chir- 
urgical  College. 
It  shall  be  the  object  of  the  writer,  in  presenting  this  paper,  to 
deal  only  with  such  methods  as  have,  after  thorough  trial,  proven 
wholly  satisfactory,  and  to  give  that  which  is  absolutely  necessary 
for  the  performance  of  this  work. 
It  is  fairly  easy  to  make  good  permanent  mounts  of  all  forms  of 
crystals  and  amorphous  substances,  as  well  as  bacteria  and  fungi 
found  in  urine  ;  but  when  we  desire  to  preserve  casts,  blood,  pus 
and  epithelia  the  work  becomes  more  complex ;  yet  equally  satis- 
factory results  are  obtained.  It  is  an  invariable  rule  that  better 
specimens  can  be  prepared  from  urine  after  it  has  been  allowed  to 
stand  in  a  cool  place,  while  a  precipitate  collects  at  the  bottom  of 
the  fluid,  than  where  we  sediment  by  means  of  the  centrifuge. 
Decant  urine  and  add  an  equal  amount  of  water  to  the  precipi- 
tate. Set  aside  in  a  cool  place,  while  precipitate  again  forms. 
A  portion  of  this  sediment  is  lifted  by  means  of  a  pipette, 
and  a  small  drop  is  placed  on  the  centre  of  a  slide  and  gently 
spread  by  means  of  a  fine  needle.  It  is  now  viewed  under  a  low 
power  to  determine  the  specimen's  value.  (1)  It  can  be  evap- 
orated to  dryness  and  mounted  in  Canada  balsam.  (2)  The  water 
may  be  absorbed  by  small  pieces  of  filter  paper,  touching  such 
portions  of  the  urine  as  contain  little  sediment,  leaving  behind 
both  organic  and  inorganic  materials  which  are  yet  moist  from 
the  small  amount  of  urine  that  remains. 
In  the  study  of  fungi,  epithelia,  bacteria  and  fat,  the  slide  is  dried 
after  the  manner  of  (1)  and  heated  over  a  flame  sufficient  to  fix  the 
specimen  to  the  slide.  A  drop  of  carbol  fuchsin  is  placed  on  the 
specimen  and  allowed  to  remain  one-half  minute,  when  it  is  removed 
Vby  allowing  a  feeble  current  of  water  to  flow  on  one  end  of  the  slide 
